Lost and Found
by River Digi
Summary: What we have lost is coming back. Can those who have lost something else save the world?
1. Chapter 1

Lost and Found

Chapter 1: At That Age

I had clearly made a mistake trying to talk about what was happening to me. Why did I think Matthew would be helpful? Especially after he called in his wife, Elaine? She was supposed to 'help explain'. Some explanation. This was just embarrassing.

"Look, Evan, you're fourteen years old. Your body is starting to change. I know you think I can't possible understand what you're going through, but I was a teenaged boy once too." Matthew said. I fidgeted in my chair at the dinner table and looked away. He'd said that same sentence a lot in the past hour or so. "It's something everyone goes through. It's an awkward time for a boy or a girl, as I'm sure Elaine and I could tell you."

"If you guys are going to start telling stories that are only going to make this worse than it already is, I'm leaving." I pushed myself away from the table and hurried upstairs to my room, ignoring the halfhearted protests from Elaine and Matthew. I slammed the door before grabbing one of my secret notebooks and flopping down on my bed.

I didn't open it right away, wondering not for the first time why my real parents have never tried to find me. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a foster kid. Elaine and Matthew are my fifth set of foster parents. He's a chef(yes, great food!), she's a dentist(no, teeth scrapings and cavity fillings!), and both of them are pretty nice people. But I knew Matthew was wrong about what was happening to me. How could he _possibly_ know what I was going through? Only one person knew, and that was my kitten, Pendant. Who, right now, has decided my shoulder is his napping place.

"You don't care, do you?" I ask the purring engine that is the only friend that comes with me when I get moved to another house. "Not as long as I let you use me as a bed." I opened my notebook, not expecting any kind of answer from Pendant, and looked at the noes I had written down. Not notes you pass to people in class or notes to remember something, but notes to one of the songs I've written. I looked at it and couldn't understand why I'd written a song that felt like it had something missing. An extra C note? A slower crescendo? A quicker one? I didn't know.

I shoved the notebook under a pillow when I heard a knock at the door.

"Evan? Can I come in?" Elaine called from the hallway. I told her she could and she opened the door. Without closing it(I suspected Matthew was in the hall and listening) she walked over to my bed and sat down next to me, reaching over to scratch Pendant behind the ears before she spoke again. "I know that conversation could have gone better, but you have to understand that the last time either of us had a talk like that.. well, we were kids talking to _our_ parents and it was just as uncomfortable for us then too."

"I know that, Elaine. It's just that.. well, it's not like I've got any friends my age that are going through the same thing, you know?" I'm pretty sure that's the answer she wanted because, though she tried to hide it, she relaxed a bit. "I'll get over it." I lied. She reached over and messed up my hair, something she knew annoyed me but did it anyway.

"It's not as bad as it seems right now." She told me. "It gets better. You'll probably get a girlfriend when school starts up again in the fall. Or a boyfriend."

"Elaine!" I feigned shock at what she had said. She likes to mess with me. "I like girls. You know that."

"I don't know," She teased me as she stood up to leave. "I've caught you looking around before."

"I've only been on the look-out for competition. After all, I don't want to get into any fights while I'm here. People might think I'm a dangerous kid with cavities and cravings for barbecue sushi!" I teased right back. She laughed, scratched behind Pendant's ears one more time, and left. She even closed the door behind her, allowing me to pull my notebook out again. I like them both, especially since they understand stuff like privacy and boundaries.

The notes were still there, of course, and they were still missing something, but I didn't want to think about and flipped through the pages so I could look at a song that didn't have anything missing, but caused me just as much confusion. It was the first one that revealed how different I was after all. It had words to go with the notes, and I looked at Pendant as I hummed the song.

Pendant's gray fur turned bright red, and the patch of white below his neck(his namesake) became dark blue. You've got three guesses why Matthew doesn't know what I'm talking about and the first two don't count. I want to say that it's magic, but I live in a world of science where magic tricks are just tricks. But the change in fur color always lasts a long time, unless I hum the song again and I've used the song to do other things too, like cleaning dirt off of my clothes or making little objects move around. So maybe it is magic.

I changed Pendant's fur back to it's normal colors and put him on my pillow so I could change into my pajamas. I kept no secrets in my dreams, and I always heard the most wonderful music playing. Sometimes, when the dreams were really vivid, the music was coming from me...


	2. Chapter 2

Lost and Found

Chapter 2: The World Changes

I hate alarm clocks, I really do. Mine in particular. I know they're supposed to loud, but mine just seems smug about it. I've thrown the thing across the room several times and it only seems to get louder. So my morning didn't start out peacefully. Which is normal for me, especially since Pendant is usually trying to eat my ear.

Matthew shouted up the stairs to tell me breakfast was ready as I got dressed. I had picked up Pendant and was just about to go downstairs when... I don't really know to describe it. Have you ever had that shiver that goes up your spine even though it's not cold where you are? It was like that, except it happened _to the entire world!_ The part I could see of it anyway.

"Did you guys see that just now?" I asked Matthew and Elaine as I put Pendant down in front of food.

"See what?" Matthew asked as he refilled his coffee for(probably) the third time.

"That... that ripple just now. It went through the whole hallway! Did you see it?"

"No, I can't say that I did. Maybe you just stood up to quickly and you got dizzy. Seat down before you fall over and eat your breakfast."

I was about to argue when I saw that Matthew had made his famously fluffy and absolutely delicious blueberry pancakes. There was also maple syrup for the pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, and juicy looking strips of bacon. Simple food_,_ but who cared when it was sooo good? I don't understand the people that think a cup of coffee counts as 'breakfast'. I ate with fervor. I was just mopping up the last of the syrup when a second ripple-shiver went through the house.

"Are you okay, Evan?" Elaine asked as she helped herself to the last pancake. I looked at her like she was crazy? Didn't she see it?

"I'm fine. Did you see the ripple?"

"The what?" Now Elaine was looking at _me_ like I was crazy. "All I saw was you shake a lot for a moment. Are you sure you're okay?" She said as she got up and walked around the table to put a hand on my forehead. "You don't have a fever..."

I looked at Matthew for help, hoping he had seen it, hoping he could help me, but he was reading the newspaper. He looked totally engrossed in whatever he was reading, which meant it was probably a review of the restaurant he worked at. He wasn't going to be any help.

"I'm fine. I guess it was just a chill from how cool this breakfast was." I lied(though it was a good breakfast), and took my plate to the sink. I excused myself from the table and retreated back to my room. That last ripple had felt different. Almost.. almost like I could grab it and keep it. It felt like it _wanted_ that.

"I'll grab it next time, Pendant. Whatever it is." I said to my kitten as I grabbed my notebook from it's hiding place and sat at my desk to write a new song. He purred in agreement as he climbed up my clothing(my sides always have tiny claw marks from this) and perched on my shoulder. Elaine calls him "Pendant the Parrot" when he does this, saying that the furball probably wanted me to be a ship captain. I think he just likes being on my shoulder so he can see what I'm doing. A half-hour and several lines of music notes later I stopped writing and stood up. I could feel it coming, though I didn't know how.

"Meow." I could feel Pendant shaking. He sensed it too, and it scared him. I slipped him under my shirt as I went over to the window. Now I could it feel coming, and it was moving much slower now. Had another person grabbed it too? I stopped thinking about it as it got closer. It stopped just a few inches away from me and felt fear creep into my chest, tightening it and making it hard to breathe. What was this thing? Why didn't Elaine or Matthew notice it? Why did I feel like it was waiting for me to make a choice?

A choice that would change everything.

A choice I didn't have a lot of time to make.

So I made it. I made a choice.

I reached out to grab the ripple.

I watched my hand warp as it entered the ripple.

And then...


	3. Chapter 3

Lost and Found

Chapter 3: An Explanation

"...him up?"

"...yet, he could..."

"...right of course. Now.."

"...waking up..."

"Ungh... what happened?" I asked as I sat up and clutched my head. Why was I on the floor? I remember touching whatever the ripple was and then.. oh yeah. That explained a lot. The painful scratches on my stomach explained what Pendant had thought of my falling. He was sleeping on the bed, so I hadn't hurt him, which was a bonus no matter what had happened. So... what _did_ happen? My room looked the same, and so did the rest of the house once I checked around. Nothing out of place, nothing a different color, none of my inner organs were on the outside.

But whose voices did I hear? I didn't recognize them, and since I wasn't in the hospital(my clock showed it hadn't even been five minutes since I'd touched the ripple) they couldn't have been doctors.

"Elaine? Matthew?" No one answered, though Pendant did wake up and climb my side until he was sitting on my shoulder. I decided to go look for them, thinking they had gone to the store or something and had left a note, but the door wouldn't open! It didn't have a lock, so maybe it was stuck? I pushed, I pulled, and I threw a chair at it before I tried the window. It wouldn't open either and, after looking out it for Elaine and Matthew, I noticed that nothing outside was moving. The trees weren't moving in the wind and the clouds were floating in place. I did what anyone 14 year old would do when he finds out he's trapped.

I panicked.

I threw the chair again, this time at the "window", but it broke. By this time Pendant had taken refuge under my bed(was it my bed? I didn't know) and I was looking around for more things to throw. I saw stuff on my desk and started throwing them at the "window" too, stopping mid-throw when I felt a something smooth and cool in my hand. It was a purple crystal about the size of my thumb.

_Thank you for not throwing me._ I heard someone say. I looked around quickly, hands clenched into fists. _Please stop squeezing me. I am the crystal you hold in your hand, and I'm speaking to you via telepathy. _I looked at the crystal. Was this a joke? _This is no joke._

"Ah!" I yelled as I tossed the crystal away from me. It grew spidery legs before it hit the wall and used them to catch itself. "What are you? Where am I? Why can't I get out of my room!" I yelled at the rock as my heart hammered against my ribs.

_My name is Ammy. I am what is called a psicrystal. Psicrystals are special stones that are sentient and usually bonded to someone of psychic talent, not unlike the bond you share with your cat. You are currently in a holding area so that you may learn about what is happening to your world without harming someone. The area was made to look like your room for your comfort. You cannot leave until you understand what is going on._

That seemed.. strangely reasonable. I took a few deep breaths and picked up Pendant, both of which help me calm down a little.

"Okay, um.. Ammy. What _is_ going on?"

_Magic is returning to your world. With it will come many strange things that must be handled carefully. This is were you come in._

"Why me?" I interrupted. "What strange things?"

_You are one of the people that was effected by Magic's return and realized it, embraced it. Your natural talents will grow faster than normal and will allow them to reach heights never before possible. Your world is going to react to this sudden change in many ways. You and a few others from around the world are one such reaction._

"So.. what are the other reactions?"

_Creatures, both good and evil, that are considered 'myths' will roam your world once again. Some already are. The ripple you saw was another reaction, which may have changed more people or made a 'myth' real._

"It was the second one." I said without a doubt. "Somewhere a myth became reality. It's dangerous too."

_You can tell the difference? Interesting. Wait here._ Ammy said as a circle appeared behind it and it stepped through.

"Where am I going to go?" I asked Pendant. "It's not like I can leave."

"Shiny make funny?" Pendant meowed. I felt like I should be surprised, but I'm pretty sure I was in shock. A talking kitten seemed less freaky than a talking rock telling me magic was turning myth and legend into reality anyway. Ammy came back through the circle.

_Okay, here's the thing. You can tell the difference between the reaction-ripples, and that can save us a lot of time. Several people from my reality are currently traveling the world trying keep the dangerous creatures in check long enough for everyone on your world to adapt. My people cannot keep up with all of them, and they have decided that I should ask if you would like to help. You and I, along with a few others like you, will take care of the minor dangers. Three others have been asked and they have agreed to help. Would you like too as well?_

I thought about of course. But what use would I actually be? The mythical creatures I could think all seemed like they would be way out of my league. Sure, I could hum and changed the color of cat hair, what good would that be against a werewolf or a zombie?

"I'm sorry." I said a few minutes later. "But I can't..."

_Why?_

"Because I can't! What good would I be? I can't fight, I'm not brave, and you just said people are handling this!"

_More help, no matter how little, is always good. You can be taught ways to fight. Bravery can get you killed if you think it means being without fear. The people already working on keeping your world in one piece are dealing with the biggest threats._

"What threats are they dealing with that are so big you need the help of a fourteen-year old?" I snarled at the now annoying psychic crystal.

_Demons, devils, and any offspring they may create with people in this world. It will not matter if they are willing. The same for any evil dragons that might make it through._

"You expect me to believe that?" In light of this new information, I wasn't as snarly anymore.

_That's exactly the right thing to ask, why should you believe me? I'm just an annoying pebble._

That stung a bit. I'm pretty sure Pendant felt that one too.

"I still can't. Elaine and Matthew will never let me leave because a telepathic crystal says I should."

_Do not be so sure._ I heard in my mind, Ammy's mental voice hesitant. _While you were unconscious they went for a walk. Unlike you, they had no way of knowing a ripple had occurred. Apparently they have being captured by creatures known to my group as goblins. It would be best if you made a decision quickly, as goblins will eat anything made of meat and I need to know whether you are coming to help or not._

I felt my heart skipped a beat, a chill run up my spine, a knot grow in my stomach, and a number of other things that happen when people get bad news. Elaine and Matthew were in danger? They were so nice that I didn't want to believe it, but... what if they were? I didn't want to them to get hurt, even if it meant I would get hurt instead.

"Let's go." I said, my voice filled with more determination than I had ever had before. I'd save them or die trying.


	4. Chapter 4

Lost and Found

Chapter 4: How To Be A Hero

_We realize that you cannot walk around your world in armor with a weapon at your side._ Ammy told me as he scurried around the strange room he had brought me too. It was filled with all kinds of items that didn't look like what Ammy was talking about at all, like clothes and bracelets and wristbands. _But we also realize that leaving you defenseless would be worse than never recruiting you. Each item in this room is either a weapon, armor, or magical item that was created so you could have them in public and ready to use. Now change into these and puts these bands on whichever wrist feel right for them. The blue one holds a dagger and a rapier, while the green one holds one of our lighter crossbows and it's ammunition. The clothing is armor._ One thing I found out is that, while the clothes and wristbands looked normal, the were much heavier. I changed quickly, somewhat self-conscious with a sentient crystal in the room for some reason, and then put Pendant in the pouch of the sweatshirt. He'd told me he was coming too, and I found I couldn't tell him no. I wanted him near me so I could keep him safe.

"So how do I work thes- Ah!" I dropped the rapier that appeared in my hand, and the blue wristband was on my wrist again. I had gestured with my right hand to show I was talking about the blue band when it had turned into a weapon. "You could have warned me!"

_You did not give me time. Gesture with your hand and think about the weapon. There is your warning. The armor needs no motion or thought, it is always working. Do not think it makes you impervious though! You can still be hurt and will be, so avoid every blow you can. But also do not think the wristbands are your only weapons. You said earlier that you could hum and produce magical effects, yes? That indicates that you have a type of magical music, and you should have songs in your mind that can do more than change somethings color._

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but let's go now! Every minute wasted here is another minute Elaine and Matthew could be killed!"

_As you wish. Step through the portal and you will meet your allies. They are in a clearing not far from were the goblins have set up camp._ Even as he thought those words to me, a portal big enough for me to walk through opened up. I could see a clearing on the other side, but no one else. I looked at the crystal, but sine he seemed trustworthy enough to me I stepped through the portal. The open air felt great, and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees was almost musical.

"Well look who finally decided to show up." Came a feminine voice from behind me. I turned quickly, calling my brand new rapier to my hand, and saw three people not ten feet away from me. "Calm down, Twitchy, gotta save some for the little freaks." The girl said. She had beautiful hair that was the color of a spring sunset. Not far from her stood two guys who weren't standing close to each other at all. The tallest one was definitely the oldest out of us, and he looked at me like I could be a threat. The other guy, both younger and shorter than me, didn't seem comfortable even being in the clearing, let alone being a good 12 feet from the bigger one.

_Hello again everyone_. Ammy said as he climbed up my shoulder and perched in Pendant's usual spot. _This is Evan Andrews. Evan, the girl with the quick tongue is Haley. The tall one there is Koethar, but he has requested he be called "Kay" for simplicity's sake. That leaves Corey there. Now that we all know each other we should be going, don't you think? Follow me closely and be ready._ Ammy jumped off of my shoulder to the ground and took off towards the woods, leaving us with little chance to do anything but follow quickly. For some reason, Corey and I caught up to Ammy first. I didn't think we were that fast, and I was sure Kay would have been faster...

We stopped quite suddenly after running for what seemed like a long time(half an hour maybe? I'm not sure.) and found ourselves staring down into a tunnel or a cave. Whatever it was, it didn't look inviting.

_You will find the goblins in there. I have to go and bring another group together now, so you are on your own. Stay together, work together, and be careful. Goblins are small, no more than three feet tall. You'll know one when you see one. They-_

"Are afraid of dogs, horses, and the written word." I cut Ammy off, surprising everyone(especially myself). "They can hide almost anywhere, even if it doesn't seem like they _should_ be able to hide there. The think writing steals the words from your mind, and practically worship fire."

"How do you know all that?" Kay asked.

"I don't know, I just.. do."

_It is a side effect of what is happening to your world. Evan, would you like me to care for Pendant while you save Elaine and Matthew?_

"Thank you, but no." I said as I reached into my sweatshirt's front pocket unconsciously and scratched my kitten's back. He growled faintly(he _had not_ liked being in the pocket while I was running) before popping his head out and looking at everyone.

"You brought a cat?" Haley asked, disbelief dripping from her voice. "Do you have a pony in there? That would be more useful than that mangy thing."

"Hey!" I yelled at her as Pendant hissed. "He's not mangy!"

_Stop now! In case you have forgotten, let me remind you that there are two people somewhere in the underground that need to be saved before they are eaten!_

I had to admit that he was right. Pushing Pendant back into my pocket, I turned and looked at the tunnel, choosing to ignore Haley at the moment. I was going to want light, and I hadn't seen any flashlights in the room before I left it, so I was going to need another source of light. I song I'd written came to mind, and I whistled it as I thought about my dilemma.

"Um.. Evan? Your wristband's.. glowing." I don't know what surprised me more, the fact Corey said something(I hadn't thought he'd talk to me so soon) or the fact he was right.

"Well," said Kay, "that's going to be useful. Think you can light up my shield like that? I can barely see past the entrance with all these trees blocking out the sunlight." I shrugged as his right wristband changed into a big metal shield. I couldn't figure out why something that traditionally is used to stop attacks would have _spikes_, but I whistled the song again anyway and watched as the glow left my wristband and went to his shield. It seemed that whatever magic that particular song had was only capable of illuminating one thing at a time.

"I guess we're ready then. As long as we do like Ammy said and stick together we can all use the light. At less than three feet tall, how dangerous can the little guys be?" Kay walked into the cave, leading the way with shining shield and sturdy halberd(how I knew what that was was a mystery too). Corey followed, then Haley, and then finally me. We all had our weapons ready, we were already to fight. But we weren't ready for the awful silence, they all-absorbing quiet that caused use to flinch at every noise, even if we were the ones who made it. Even Pendant stopped making any noise.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered, stopping at a fork in the tunnel. I looked down the left path and listened hard. Corey moved to me side silently, and small sword in one hand, the other hand poised to throw a long knife. He caught my eye and nodded. "Kay? Haley? I think there's something down this way."

"Are you sure?" Kay asked, moving slightly in front of us. As he moved, so did the light coming from his shield. I caught sight of an ugly, vaguely humanoid thing. It scurried off before I could line up a shot with my crossbow. Considering I didn't have it ready to fire, that may have been a good thing.

"Well, that thing was ugly." Haley commented. She said something under her breath and a necklace around her neck that I hadn't seen before began to glow just like Kay's shield.

"You saw it too?"

"Yeah, ugly little gray thing with a head like a football."

"Gray? It was green!"

"What are you two talking about?" Kay asked. "I didn't see anything down that hall."

Haley looked at me, I looked at Haley, and then we both looked at Kay.

"How could you not see it? It was just inside the edge of the light! The little green thing saw that I had seen it and ran deeper into the tunnel!"

"It was gray." Haley persisted.

"No it wasn't! Goblins are green humanoids with no hair on their heads and a obsession with fire."

"How do you so much about goblins? Maybe you're in league with them!"

My face grew hot with anger as I stared right into her eyes, the intensity of my stare making her step back. Which allowed to me to raise my rapier and point it at her threateningly.

"Elaine. Matthew. What do those names mean to you?" I growled. I got a small sense of satisfaction as her eyes darted to the others before coming back to look at me.

"They're the names of the people we're supposed to save."

"Is that all they are to you? Elaine is a dentist, Matthew is a chef, both of them are excellent at what they do. They are the nicest people I have met in the last _five years_, and I know that if I can't save them before something happens to them I will regret if for the rest of my life, and right now you are keeping my from saving them because you want to _argue about what color goblins are?_" I took a step forward, the point of my rapier now dangerously close to her. If Kay hadn't gotten between us when he did...

"Calm down, Evan. The goblins are the ones you should be angry at. Haley, apologize. _Now_." He said sternly.

"You can't tell me what to do. Who do you think you are?" She asked, not believing how things had turned on her so quickly.

"I'm the guy who just kept you from being stabbed. Apologize or the next time I see that crystal I'll tell him you can't play well with others and that you need to go back to wherever he found you."

"Sorry." She said grudgingly , but I couldn't let that get to me. Kay was right, I should be angry at the goblins. I turned back toward the tunnel the goblin had taken and went after it, determined that Elaine and Matthew would get out of here safely. If I had to sing myself hoarse to make the goblins shake with ear-splitting pain to free them, then nothing would stop me from fraying my vocal chords.


	5. Chapter 5

Lost and Found

Chapter 5: Drawing First Blood

The goblin I'd seen must have been a lot faster than his legs would lead you to believe, because I soon found myself facing face-to-face with three goblins and one of the ugliest creatures I've ever seen: a goblin dog. An especially big and dog-like rodent, I knew that touching it or getting bit by it would be a bad idea. I also knew that any noise it made would travel much farther than any the goblins made. My rapier whistled through the air as I thrust it wildly at the goblin dog, barely missing it's eye but digging into it's shoulder. My plan to silence it quickly backfired though, as it howled in pain. Something small cut through the air and struck it in the neck, bringing it down with little more than a soft thud.

"You idiot!" I heard Haley call out from behind me. "If you could do this alone then Ammy wouldn't have gotten _four_ people!"

"Oh, shut up!" I called back, flinching as I felt one of the goblin's blades drag across my leg. Ammy may have been right about my clothes working like armor, but he hadn't told me it would still _hurt_ to get hit! A moment later Kay was at my side, slamming his shield into a goblin and making it crumple from the sheer force of the blow. A knife whirled through the air, thrown by Corey I guess, but it bounced off of its dirty armor. These things were tougher than the dog, that was for sure.

One tried to get away, either out of fear or to warn it's allies, but with almost uneering accuracy a polearm(a halberd judging from it's shape) stabbed through the air and dug deep into its neck. The goblin let out a gagging cry as it fell to the ground, and Kay grunted as his pulled his weapon back. I hadn't even seen him bring it out! I stabbed at the remaining one, but it knocked my blade out of the way with it's shield, somehow dodging the crossbow bolt that came from behind me while it was at it. It swung it's blade at my visciously, and this time the edge got through, cutting down my side.

"Ungh!" I bit my lip as felt the pain rip through and blood flow down my side. The goblin laughed madly until Kay slammed his shield into it's face, then again for good measure. I sat down next to the cave wall and pulled my shirt up to look at the wound, hissing as the movement stretched the cut. In the light of Kay's shield I could see that it felt worse than it actual was. I'd been lucky.

"Oh, there is _no way_ I'm healing that." Before I could ask Haley what she meant by that, she leaned forward and poked the cut. Hard.

"Ungh! You colorblind bi-" Kay's hand quickly muffled the rest of what I was going to say, and he didn't remove it until I'd calmed down. "I'm going to get you back for that, Haley, you can bet on it!" I swore before I turned to Kay. "Why did you stop me?"

"Two reasons, one of which is that we are in a cave system filled with goblins and extremely ugly dogs. If you get too loud, like you were about to, then the caves could have collasped or all the goblins could have come at us at once." He explained. He then leaned over to whisper in my ear. "You didn't see it, but Corey started to get real upset when you and Haley were fighting before. I don't want any of us to fight at all, _especially_ if it makes someone who isn't fighting get worked up."

"So?" I whispered back. "Why does it matter to you? You haven't even known us a day yet!" Kay grabbed my by my shirt with one hand and pulled me closer, his voice lower than a whisper.

"Because I'm the oldest and I couldn't stand it if one of you little brats got hurt on my watch. I'll talk to Haley later. In the meantime, shut the hell up and focus on getting your friends out of here."

"Where do you get the right to tell me what to do? You're not my father!"

"I know, so don't you think you should go save him?" Kay said as he let go of my shirt and went down the tunnel on his own. What he said pierced something inside me like he'd used that shield of his, and whatever it was made my eyes water. I blinked my eyes and was glad to see Haley hadn't noticed. I'd have bet anything she would have made fun of me . I followed Kay and the others as soon as my eyes stopped being blurry.


	6. Chapter 6

Lost and Found

Chapter 6: Working Together

After fighting another small group of goblins we found the cave where Elaine and Matthew were being held. It was a fairly large cavern, which is probably why the entire tribe of the little green vermin were there too. Some squabbled, some lit things(or each other) on fire, others were making a big pile of wood in the center of a pit... a pit my foster parents were sitting next to, tied up and not looking too good.

"That them?" Haley asked. Who else could it have been, really? Was there another pair of humans tied up somewhere.

"Yeah." I replied. "You still think goblins are gray?"

"Shut up. What are we going to do? There are so many..."

"I know Haley's got her crossbow, but what about you guys?" Kay asked, looking at Corey and I. "I'm going to stand in the way and take them out as the rush us, which they will. They're not the smartest creatures."

"I've just got three knives." Corey said quietly.

"Here, take my crossbow." I told him, taking off my bracelet and handing it to him. He took it gingerly, almost like it would bite. "I haven't used it yet, so I've still got all the bolts."

"What are you going to do then, throw that sticker of yours?" Haley asked, the edges of her mouth twitching up like she was holding back a smile. I really didn't like her.

"I'm going to help Kay kill them."

"Like hell you are!" Kay started, but I cut him off.

"I've got more of a reason to charge in there than you do." My voice was stern as I gestured toward the cavern around the corner. "You can't stop me."

He actually could have, but I was hoping the tone of my voice would make him think he couldn't. He looked like he wanted to hit me, but he got his weapons out and turned to head into the horde.

"Wait, I think I can thin their numbers a bit." Haley said stepping around the corner first. She started speaking in this language that sounded angelic, and I found that I understood what she was saying. Here's a rough translation.

"The feeling of love, embarrassment, and pain, I call you forth.

The beauty of the sun, the shine of rubies, the warmth of security, I ask your aid.

Help us save these people, and pass judgment on their captors, their tormentors.

Let the unrighteous burn!"

Almost immediately after she was done we heard the goblins yelling in their strange language, and she told us to hurry. She started chanting again as Kay and I went to stand in front of her. What we saw was amazing. In the middle of a group of the green cretins burned a small mound of living fire that swung it's arms about with a sort of wild grace. It was an elemental, the living incarnation of fire itself, and watching it brought the unfinished song to mind. Except it _was_ finished. The missing piece hadn't been a part of the song itself, but when it should be sung! I started to sing, calling forth a battle song that seemed to inspire, excite, and invigorate us! I watched as Kay lashed out at goblins with more ease than before, crossbow bolts struck with unerring accuracy, and the elemental send goblins flying with a single swipe of it's fiery arms. In short, it was a great moment for me.

Then several arrows flew through the air, hit me in the chest, and I blacked out from the pain.

That really killed the moment for me.


	7. Chapter 7

Lost and Found

Chapter 7: The Best Part of Waking Up

"Yes ma'am." I said as I was told to take out the trash. Mrs. Teredia was the owner of the orphanage I had stayed in for a little bit while a foster home was found, and she demanded respect from all of us. Whether it was dinner conversations or telling us to do our chores, her voice was firm and commanding. Nothing slipped by her either. Within an hour after I had hid a kitten in a box under my bed, she confronted me with it cradled in her arms. I was terrified that she was going to make me get rid of it and, being only nine years old at the time(not to mention thinking my parents either didn't love me anymore or were dead), I broke down and started crying.

"Where did you find this kitten?" Mrs. Teredia said after my crying had reduced to sniffles.

"He *sniff* crawled through the fence while I was p-playing.. and he came right *sniff* up to me and started p-purring." I replied, wishing I could just go to my room and hide under the bed until she forgot about the kitten.

"Why did you hide him?"

"I wanted t-to keep him and I didn't think y-you'd let me."

"Why did you think that?" She asked. She didn't _sound_ angry, so I wiped my eyes dried and looked up at her. She seemed rather amused by the fact the kitten was sitting boldly on her shoulder and looking at me. I could her it purring. "He seems to like you."

"I.. I don't know." I said quietly. "You don't have any pets here."

"That doesn't mean I don't like animals." She said firmly, but it was calming somehow. "I simply cannot care for them the way they deserve because you children come first."

"So I can keep him?" I asked excitedly. Mrs. Teredia held her hand up to keep me from going on.

"He must stay outside until I come back with the things he will need. It will be your job to clean up after him until he learns to use the litter box, keep him from getting into people food, and play with him everyday so he can get used to being around you and people." Was she kidding? It was sitting on her shoulder! I was trying not to laugh as she handed the kitten to me. It climbed up to sit on my shoulder and purred loud enough to make my ear buzz.

It was hard, taking care of Pendant(I had to explain that Mrs. Teredia had said it looked like he was wearing one, and then explain that it was something that went on a necklace), but I kept it up and treated him like he was the greatest treasure in the world. He was too.

Because he was my best friend.

Part Two

"I just don't understand it, Cheryl! That boy cares more about that cat than sports or video games or girls!" I was sitting at the top of the stairs listening as my third set of foster parents talked about me like I wasn't in the house. I could have heard Thomas in my room with the door closed though.

"Thomas, that cat has been the boy's only real friend for two years, it's understandable that he'd care about it." Cheryl was so.. mild most of the time, and it had surprised me to learn that it was _her_ idea to take in foster kids. "You're just making a mountain out of a mole hill."

"Am I?" He asked. "Is it normal for a kid to come home after school and have to be told to do his homework before he can play with a _cat_? I think we should take him to see someone."

"You mean like a psychologist?"

"No, Cheryl, I mean a vet. Lord knows the boy spends enough time with that cat that we could take him to one!"

I stood up and ran to my room, slamming the door and locking it before throwing myself down on my bed and burying my face in a pillow. I knew they heard the door slam shut, and knew Cheryl was mildly scolding Thomas for not keeping his voice down. I heard the doorknob shake as one of them tried to turn it, and I expected to hear the sound of the key turning any moment, but it never came.

I don't know how long I lay there and cried, but I know I hated myself for it. Why should I cry over what was said? It probably wouldn't be long before they had me moved to another home anyway. That was what my life was going to be like from now on. Moving from one place to another, away from a school I was just getting use to, away from people I liked and might one day call my friends. How long would it be before I went to someone who didn't let me keep Pendant?

I cursed the tears that soaked the pillow even more as I thought of all the cuss words I shout at the people that would try and make me get rid of him, of all the things I would do to their home. I'd become a juvenile delinquent.

Maybe I would considered 'normal' then.

Part Three

I shifted in my seat and was promptly told to stop squirming and listen. I was a thirteen year old, at a concert I didn't want to be at, in an uncomfortable seat wearing an even more uncomfortable pair of dress shoes, and Charlie(or Charles if he didn't like you) was telling me to quit squirming. I sighed, frustrated, and turned my attention back back to the concert. It wasn't like I was going anywhere or had anything better to do. On stage there was a mass of people that equaled about half of the people in the audience, and each was had an instrument on which they played. I'll admit "Ride of the Valkyries" and "Flight of the Bumblebee" were okay, but other than that I couldn't understand why people still listened to this old stuff! It doesn't... I don't know, speak to me? I spent the next two hours completely bored, and I was starting to think about pretending to get sick when all the music ended. I looked at the stage and I swear the conductor was looking right back at me. Without looking away, he adjusted the microphone that had been brought on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "we have a special treat for you tonight! You see, a dear friend of mine came to me a few weeks ago and asked if I would add a piece of music he had written to our performance tonight. After reading it and listening to it, I have to say that the answer is a resounding yes. I hope you enjoy _The Rush of Life_ I much as we do." And with that he turned back to the orchestra and...

"Wow." I said, amazed, a minute into the song. I turned to Charlie, who was smiling broadly, and I could feel me heart beating faster to keep pace with the music "It.. sounds so cool."

"I suppose it would." He replied, and something about the way he said that piqued my interest. I was about to ask what he meant by that when he nodded to the stage again. "Listen closely, since you think this song is so cool."

Still wondering(and now slightly suspicious), I went back to listen to the music. I felt it working it's way into my very core, and I nearly cried out as it broke something open. Whatever it was, it didn't matter to me anymore, because images began to flood my mind as music flooded my soul. That sounds incredibly sappy I know, but it's true. Coasting down a slope on roller blades, playing with Pendant, zooming down the go-cart track so fast the wind could make your eyes water, all of those and more floated through my mind. It really was amazing.

"What did you mean when you said you thought it would sound cool?" I asked Charlie as he drove us back to his house.

"I meant exactly what I said." He replied, which frustrated me to no end. "The person who inspired the piece usually likes it."

"WHAT!"

"Don't shout. Look, I've got a little tradition. Whenever I get a new foster kid I write a bit of music that reminds me of them. I give them a copy before they leave. Each time one of them has heard their song, they've discovered a love for music. I just bring it out in people."

"So that's why all the things I like came to mind.. all the things I love that you've seen me do! Why?"

"I've got a saying that goes along with the tradition. 'When you're doing something you truly enjoy, you stop hiding from the world and embrace it like an old friend.' I write that at the end of every song I write for a kid. I do this because I want the kids I take in to have something positive they can remember about their time in foster care, no matter what their reason is for being in it in the first place."

I was quiet the rest of the way back to his house, but after I had gone to my room and changed out of the suit, I found Charlie and gave him a hug, something I had thought I'd never give any of my foster parents. He hesitantly returned it as I looked up at him.

"Thanks for the song."

Part Four

Suddenly I wasn't giving Charlie a hug anymore because he wasn't there, and I stumbled forward. After picking myself up and dusting myself off, I looked around and found myself in a featureless landscape. It was like a void, with absolutely nothing around to tell me if I was standing or laying down. So I started walking, or at least going trough with the motions. I started to hum, sing, tell jokes to myself, anything at all to fight off both boredom and panic, and I kept it up for what seemed like hours before I saw something small in the distance. With a huge sigh of relief I began running toward, and as I got closer I could tell it was a table that only looked small because I was so far away. To my supreme disappointment the only thing there besides the table was a note that told me "It's time to wake up." What in the world did that mean? I was awake! I was just about to rip the stupid note to peices when I heard the voices, faintly at first and then louder as they continued, though they kept fading in and out before I could hear everything that was being said.

"...he okay?"

"Yeah.. got to him in time.."

"...he awake?"

"...four arrows in the chest..."

The white expanse I was in began to fall apart and before I could jump out of the way the part I was standing on fell out from under me. I screamed as I fell, flailing as I... sat straight up in a bed only to be forced back down by Kay and.. Matthew!

"Calm down man, you've got to rest and give Haley's spell a chance to finish healing those arrow slits in your chest!" Kay told me as he held my arms at my side. I wasn't listening though, I was looking at Matthew and smiling like an idiot.


	8. Chapter 8

Lost and Found

Chapter 8: Kay's Story

"You're alive!" I exclaimed happily. "Are you okay? Where's Elaine? Is everyone else okay?"

"Everyone's fine." Matthew said as he sat back in his chair. "You were the one we all worried about. Once we saw the injuries were healing though, everyone else went to get some sleep. I can't thank you all enough for saving Elaine and I."

"I..." I had no idea what to say. Well, I did, but I couldn't say it. "What happened after I got shot?"

"Well, from what I could see, the girl that was with you -Haley?- ran over to you and sort of pressed this gold light into before she pulled the arrows out. This young man here," Matthew continued, gesturing to Kay, "saw that you were down and started ripping those... things apart. I've never seen anything like it. I know you just woke up but *yawn* I running on fumes. Try and get some rest, okay? Kay, make sure you get to sleep too." As soon as he left I looked at Kay.

"Okay, fess up. First you keep me and Haley from fighting because of Corey, you call us all brats, and then you become a freaking juggernaut when you saw me fall. Why?" I asked. Kay looked away and didn't answer, and eventually I started giving up. I turned away from him and pulled the covers of my bed up to my neck. "Fine. Don't tell me, it's not like you probably saved our lives or anything."

"I thought you were dead." Kay whispered, causing me to look at him again. He was leaning forward in his chair, looking at his hands. "I thought you were dead and I lost it."

"I don't understand. It sounded like you didn't like me."

"It's complicated."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay." He said after another long pause. "About a year ago, my little brother wanted to go to one of those clubs that teens can get into. He was about your age. I wanted to get out of the house too, so I agreed to drive him there and make sure he didn't get into any trouble. I had a fake ID then, and went to the over 21 section. I laughed as he started dancing like a fool. He was never good at dancing. I ordered a drink and started flirting with this lady sitting next to me. By the time the club closed, I was drunk. I... I thought I was okay to drive though." I knew what he was going to say now, feeling cold despite the many blankets. "I ran a red light and a truck hit us. I had some bruised ribs, but the truck had hit the passenger side of the car... My brother died."

I suddenly realized he was crying. When had he started? I understood why he acted the way he did now, and reached out to comfort him.

"Kay," I said, "thank you for saving us. What you just told me must have been hard, but thanks for that too."

"Thanks for telling you I killed my brother?" He said angrily.

"No. Thank you for telling me you think of _me_ as a _brother_. I've never had one before, and you have no idea how much it means to me."

He looked at me with the strangest look in his eyes that I have ever seen, and I thought for a moment that he was going punch me, but instead he started smiling, and then laughing. We stayed there and talked until we both fell asleep. I don't know if it was because of the near death experience, the healing my body had never had before, or the safe and accepting love of a brother, but my dreams were crazy that night.


	9. Chapter 9

Lost and Found

Chapter 9: Dreaming and Realizations

I've been told that writing down dreams can help you understand them. It can't to try, can it?

I remember a pair of oak doors being opened before, and walking past people I didn't recognize but knew should be there. I saw a priest in front of an altar, and realized I was at a wedding. Kay was there on the groom's side, and so was Matthew. On the bride's side stood Elaine and... Corey! Strange as it was to see a guy as the maid of honor, seeing Pendant holding the rings brought a grin to my face. I kept walking until I was standing in front of the priest. This was _my_ wedding? Who was I getting married to though? Music started playing and we all turned back to the doors and...

...out came a doctor, holding a little baby. Looking at it made me feel so weak that I sat down before I dared holding. My breathing was faint and shallow, and I looked up the doctor questioningly.

"Everything went fine. Your wife is responding splendidly and your son is in perfect health." Relief washed through me as I looked down at my baby, my son. "Your wife said you get to name him." The doctor told me. I smiled and looked at my son's slightly pointed ears that looked just like mine, and gently brushed the red gold hair(just like his mother's) out of his face. He squirmed at my touch and then settled back into sleep.

"Tell her our son's name is Evan Shardae Andrews."

You know, even going over them again as I write them down in one of my notebooks(I had told Elaine where it was so she could bring it to me), I still can't understand them. Oh well, I can smell breakfast cooking and Kay is still asleep in his chair, so I've got to wake him up. It's funny, I took four arrows to the chest but _I'm_ the one who wakes up first.

OH MY GOD! I just finished my breakfast, having a great time and finally meeting the people who sent Ammy, but I feel queasy. I heard Elaine call for Haley using her full name. Haley Shardae_._ _Shardae!_ The middle name of my son in the dream! Her hair was just like his too... I hope no one ever find this and tells her. She'd definitely beat me up.


	10. Chapter 10

Lost and Found

Chapter 10: Epilogue

It is ten years since I last opened the book to the entry about my dream, and I still can't believe it. It amazes me that dreams really _can_ come true. That sounds so cheesy. Though I guess I really shouldn't be that surprised. Magic is back in the world and anything is possible. I guess I should explain some things.

First, the reason I'm writing this is so you, the reader, can understand what we went through to save this world. We're not looking for any profit though. How could we, when we all agreed that the names should be changed?

Second, I know both Corey's and Haley's stories now, but can't go into much more detail than that. All I can say is that Haley's involves a fire and that Corey is indeed a girl. They've asked that I don't tell you any more than that.

After that last day, we split up for a while. Kay went home to assure his parents that he was still alright, and explain that he needed to keep helping us. He said he had to argue for days before they relented. Corey left for her own reasons, and I don't know anymore than that. Haley and I ended up dating of course, and it turned out she was a pretty nice girl once you got passed the attitude. The best part of that year though, was the day I received a letter in the mail from Elaine and Matthew saying they had adopted me! I can't begin to explain how that felt.

Haley says I should let you know where are we know, and I'm inclined to agree.

We live a nice semi-suburban neighborhood. Haley's a teacher and I'm chef and part-time musician(I've got my own restaurant!). Kay, who is now a police officer, lives right down the street with his husband. Yeah, you read that right, Kay's got a husband. The guy saves my life and thinks I'll care about something like that! I don't blame him though, there are some weird people in this world. Anyway, Corey(who is now a vet) lives a few hours away and drives up every weekend so we can all have dinner together. She's married to a real nice guy and they have a set of twins, a girl and a boy who play with Evan and Elise(Kay's adopted daughter) when they come over.

So we are all happy, healthy, and wouldn't want it any other way.

Evan Andrews. Husband, father, saver of the world.

P.S. Pendant is still the size of a kitten Turns out he's some type of fey. Who knew?


End file.
